Read Joshua 9 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
8:30-9:2 {p} The Law written at the entrance to the land, as Moses commanded
9:3-27 {p} Joshua makes a covenant with Gibeon
Joshua 9:3-27 Chiastic Structure:
Notice that YHVH does not interrupt Israel, when they are making a bad decision, with, “Wait a minute! You are being played!”
We saw in the last chapter, that when Joshua used a battle plan that came from the mouth of man, Israel was defeated before her enemies. Now in this chapter, the same theme is Repeated, which the central axis highlights: they did not ask counsel at the mouth of YHVH, and so they were deceived.
Listen, our enemy is mighty. He has millennia of skill in deception. But he is not mightier than YHVH, and he cannot outwit YHVH. And YHVH, Most High and mightiest of all, is just waiting for us to ask counsel at His mouth. He will not interrupt our bad decision-making, but He will give His wise counsel if asked.
If there are questions, this is a good resource:
Gibeon – Intermnational Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Hivite – McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia
Leave a Reply